Cleaning-tool.



0. ELBE.

CLEANING TOOL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 24, 1911.

1,09%698 Patented Mar. 17, 15314;.

WITNESSES [NVE/VTGR @m V 4/ am BY OTTO ELBE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLEAN ING-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented an. '11-7, iota.

Application filed July 24, 1911. .Serial No. 640,237.

' To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, O'rro ELBE, a citi- 'zen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning-Tools, of

' which the following is a specification.

. matter of .shape having opposite V-shaped end por-' This inventionpertains particularly to improvements in cleaning tools for use inconnection with vacuum cleaners, and has for its object the provision ofan article which will be particularly efficient in use and very cheap inmanufacture.

An advantageous feature ofthe device is the peculiar formation of thebase plate of the 'tool whereby the sliding action of the same inoperation over surfaces to be cleaned is greatly facilitated.

.Still another object is to provide means cooperating with the basecontrol the suctiontof the device when the tool is used in cleaningdelicate fabrics or the like. I

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in theconstruction,

" combination, and arrangement of parts, all

as hereinafter more fully and illustrated in ings, wherein- I Figure 1is a perspective view of the invention; Fig. 2 is a central crosssection thereof; Fig.1?) is a longitudinal section;

described, claimed, the accompanying draw- Fig. 4 is a bottom view ofthe tool, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view showing one of theball trunnions in section and the surrounding parts in side elevation.Throughout the following detail. descrip tion and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar-parts are referred to by like referencecharacters. f

The improved tool forming the subject this invention is composed of abase plate or body portion 1, said base'plate being elongated and havingits front and rear edges upturned, forming rearwardly diverging bearinsurfaces at its front port1on and, forwardly diverging bearing surfacesatits rear portion. The body portion 5 .gf the plate 1 is formed with asuction chamerf2 at the central portion of which is an opening 3.Practically speaking, the body of the 'tool of this invention is oflozenge tions. Preferably formed integrally with the base land extendingfrom the opening 3 is formed: the socket 4 having disposed plate toeifectively oppositely thereon the ears ,5, said ears having openingsorslots 5 therein. Pivotally mounted by means of the screws 6 passingthrough the slots 5 is the ball 7, said ball having an opening 8 in thebottom portion thereof which is of approximately the same size as theopening 3 in the base 1. Extending from the ball 7 is a sleeve or neck 9into which is received a tubular operating handle 10 as shown, forproperly conducting the current of air and dust or dirt. The pivotalmounting of the ball 7 permits the tool to be used in cleaning under andaround furniture, while at the same time the operative area of theopeningin the base plate may be regulated by upward or downward movementof the handle 10 connected to said ball. Furthermore, the pivots 6 uponthe ball are preferably located to one side of its center, so that whenthe operating handle is raised, by reason of the fact that the distancebetween said pivots and the outer edge of the ball is greater on oneside, said pivots will be caused to move slightly in arcuate slots 5until they bind against the end portions of said slots and the outerportion of the ball binds against the lower portion of the socket,limiting in thismanner the upward movement of the handle andsimultaneously regulating the size of the suction opening, as abovestated. The slots 5' are of a suitable length to permit the opening 8to'be nearly closed by this upward movement. The downward movement ofthe handleis limited by the contacting of the neck 9 with the rearportion of the socket, said portion being cut out sufficiently to allowthe opening 8 to pass the opening 3 in the plate 1, and thereby closethe suction opening in this direction.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that, by movement of the operatinghandle, the amount of suction may be fully controlled as desired for.use on floors, floor coverings, or delicate articles, such as curtainsor the like, thereby preventing the latter, from bep the tool by suctionof the ing drawn into cleaner.

The-article hereinbefore described can be very cheaply manufactured, andmay be used in connection with hand or power Vacuum cleaners of anytype.

It will be apparent by reference to the drawings that the ball andsocket joint which connects the handle 10with the suction head of member1, constitutes virtually a valve, the opening and closing of whichmovement of the parts 1 and 10.

It is obvious from Fig. 2 of the drawing will be readily controlled bythe relative that the screws 6 are eccentric to the circle defined by asection of the ball 7 taken through the center of the opening 8 and inline with the axis of the neck 9. The screws 6 form trunnions which findloose bearing in the slots 5 whereby theball is permitted to have arange of revolution representing .substantially ninety degrees, thetrunnions of the ball traveling longitudinally in substantially anarcuate path along the slots 5. during the partial revolution of theball and limlting the amount of movement of vthe ball during upwardmovement of the handle by coming in contact with the terminals of theslots, the ball binding against that portion of the wall of socket 4most remote from the respective ends of the slots 5 engaged by thetrunnion.

It is apparent from Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing that the base orbody portion 1 provides a suction chamber surrounded by the outline ofthe surrounding or confining edge and the walls of the said chamber areall inclined from every point toward the point of the discharge opening3. That is to say, the walls of the suction chamber longitudinally ofthe body incline from the ends upwardly to the discharge opening and, asseen in Fig. 2, the walls incline transversely so that the distributionof the suction stresses will be rendered substantially uniform and thetravel of collected substances from the remote art of the base or bodyportion will be facilitated so as to be as effective as the traveling ofsubstances adjacent the opening. Having thus fully described myinvention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a vacuum cleaning tool thecombina tion of a base forming a vacuum chamber, a a

socket communicating therewith and connected to the base, and a ballprovidedwith a handle and an inlet opening mounted'in the socket, saidsocket having elongated journal bearings, and the ball having journalsextending into and rotatable in the bearings and movable along the same,the journals bein eccentric to the axis of the ball for permittingrotary movement of the ball to bring said opening into or out ofcommunication with the base, and an exhaust connection for the ballcommunicating with the exhaust opening.

2. In a vacuum cleaning tion of a base forming a vacuum chamber andhaving a discharge or. exhaust opening, a ball and socket connectioncommunicating with sa1d opening, and eccentric journals on one of saidparts mounted in curved bearings in the other:

'3. In a vacuum cleaning tool the combi 'nation with a base forming avacuum chamberand havin a discharge or exhaust opening, of asoc etcommunicating therewith and having upstanding transversely slotted ears,and a tubular ball havin means of discharge and means'of communicationwith the exhaust opening, and journals projecting laterally from theball and disposed eccentric to the axis thereof and extending into theslots of said ears for permitting rotation of.the ball and limiting theextent thereof, said journals being movable. longitudinally of theirrespective slots.

toolthe combina- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 4 in presenceof two witnesses.

OTTO ISLBE.

Witnesses:

ANDREW Jensen, STANLEY BERGNER.

